The Houston Rockets posted their first 50-win season last year for the first time since the 2018-19 campaign. After losing to the Golden State Warriors in the first round, the Rockets decided to make some big splashes to improve.
They traded for Kevin Durant, and to land the star forward, Houston traded away Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green, and the 10th overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft, which translated into Khaman Maluach. The deal eventually included a historic seven teams in the end.
While the Rockets have championship aspirations going into the 2025-26 season, Green is a player who could end up disappointing the Suns.
Former Rockets Guard Jalen Green Will Disappoint with Suns
Last October, before the season started, Green and Houston agreed on a three-year, $106 million extension. The deal included a player option for the third year. He's slated to make $33 million this season before the number jumps to $36 million during the 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons.
Last year, he appeared in all 82 games in the regular season, logging 21 points, four rebounds, and 3.4 assists with shooting splits of .422/.342/.799.
The biggest stage where he didn't step up when needed was in the playoffs. In the first-round loss to Golden State, he had four games under 10 points in the seven-game series. Green averaged 13.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and shot a putrid 37% from the field and 29.5% from beyond the arc.
When the lights were brightest, Green didn't answer the call. While this could have been a massive turning point in his career, Phoenix will be expecting him to be their No. 2 behind Devin Booker.
Outside of Booker, the Suns' roster leaves a ton to be desired, and Green will easily be the second most talented player on the team. On most nights, he will be relied on to carry the offense in spots and will have some of the other team's best defenders thrown at him. It'll really show what he's built for, but he's going to a team that is far less talented than the one he was playing with in Houston.
The pressure has increased on his plate, especially with a price tag like this. Rocket fans will keep a close eye on what Green does with his new team, but there's a good chance he doesn't live up to the expectations of that deal and being the second overall pick.